Pawns and Symbols
| number = 26 | date = 2273-2274 | stardate = 5960.2 | author = Majliss Larson | published = November 1985 | format = paperback | pages = 277 | ISBN = ISBN 0671554255 | altcover = | caption = reprint cover }} Description :Threatened by a deadly famine, the Klingon Empire is on the verge of igniting a mad interplanetary war of conquest. :When an earthquake destroys a remote Federation research station, Jean Czerny, agricultural scientist, succumbs to amnesia. Stranded on enemy borders, she is imprisoned by Kang, the commander of a Klingon battleship. :Now Kirk must play a dangerous game of mind strategy to prevent a savage attack on the Federation! Summary The Federation outpost on Sherman's planet is devastated by an earthquake. A Klingon ship commanded by Kang picks up a survivor, Jean Czerny. However, when Kang discovers she has developed a new strain of quadrotriticale, Kang invokes an obscure Klingon tradition whereby, having saved her life, she and her property belong to him and refuses to hand her over to the . Czerny refuses to co-operate until Kang threatens the life of Aernath, a Klingon she has befriended. On learning that Klingons are beset by famine, Czerny willingly helps to counter it. In order to give her a measure of protection, Kang makes her his consort: left him on returning from the Enterprise with pro-Federation sympathies. The Klingons establish an outpost on Sherman's planet on the grounds the Federation mission failed and unsuccessfully attempt to provoke a Federation attack. The Enterprise also rescues Reena Tertullian, a Romulan, crash survivor, who in a panic fires a missile at the ship. Knowing that if she co-operates with him she will be executed, the crew make it look as though she was tortured into defusing it. Reena forms a relationship with Chekov but has to return to her own people. Aernath tricks Kang's crew and takes Czerny to Mara, who is attempting to arrange a peace between the Federation and the Klingons. She has secretly born Kang's son, Aethelnor, and intends for Czerny and Aernath to take him into Federation space so Kang will have to follow and negotiate with Kirk. Spock gets Aernath and Aethelnor off the planet with help from Cyrano Jones but Czerny is captured and left behind. Kang eventually meets Kirk with Mara and Czerny at his side and a number of settlements are reached to prevent a war. It is agreed that the Federation and the Klingons will both establish presences on Sherman's planet, with Czerny, Aernath and Aethelnor remaining there to work on the quadrotriticale strain. References Characters :Aernath • Aethelnor • Ahmad • Alden • Banerjee • Pavel Chekov • Jean Czerny • DeCastro • Eknaar • Ekthorn • Barry Giotto • Bill Hadley • Rusty Johnson • Cyrano Jones • • Kang • James T. Kirk • Maevlynin • Leonard McCoy • Kevin Riley • • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Keiko Tamura • Reena Tertullian • Tirax • Nyota Uhura • Willinck Durgath • Kang's father • Koloth • Starships and vehicles : • ( heavy cruiser) • • (battleship) ( heavy cruiser) • ( heavy cruiser) Locations Stations and outposts :Sherman's Planet Federation agricultural station • Starbase 10 Shipboard areas ;USS Enterprise : bridge • conference room • corridor • turbolift ;IKS Klolode II : bridge • laboratory • quarters (Kang's, Czerny's) • sick bay Planets and planetoids :Peneli • Sherman's Planet • Tahrn Aldebaran Colony • Tarsus IV Stellar regions :the galaxy Races and cultures :Estryllian • Human • Klingon • Organian • Romulan • Vulcan States and organizations :Federation (Starfleet) • Klingon Empire (Klingon Defense Force) Technology and weapons :agonizer • drivault • hypospray • sodium lamp • starship • turbolift • warp drive Substances and energies :charcoal • lourkain • sodium • water Lifeforms :animal • plant Plants :grain (quadrotriticale) Animals :boryx • humanoid Ranks and titles :captain • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • doctor • ensign • first officer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • security chief • security • yeoman Food and drink :ration bar • glory fruit Anatomy :stomach Other references :agriculture • amnesia • anatomy • chess • disease • drink • drugs and treatments • earthquake • empire • energy • food • game • galaxy • government • laboratory • language • lifeform • matter • nation-state • orbit • outpost • planet • races and cultures • rank • red alert • religion • science • space • star • star system • stardate • stim shot • technology • title • universe • yellow alert • war • weapon Appendices Timeline }} }} External link * category:books category:tOS novels